When is the last time you absolutely fell in love with cockroaches, ants, and fleas? The answer to that one is probably a resounding “NEVER!” If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that these insect invaders must go bye-bye.
Yet, what are you supposed to do when you see a group of giant cockroaches dance across your hardwood floor? How do you stop an army of ants from marching straight into your prized garden? What about the fleas that have taken up residence in your poor doggy’s fur?
Well, you don’t want douse your home in toxic fumes! There’s a natural and non-toxic way to fend off these unwelcome guests, and it can be found in borax.
So, if you’re ready to kick those cockroaches, ants and fleas to the curb, then keep reading to find out how to evict the icky buggers for good.
Boric acid has been used for decades to control household and garden pests. It’s a naturally occurring substance that is found everywhere in nature, including seawater and plants. Borax is boric acid’s chemical cousin – they both contain the element boron. Although boric acid is slightly more effective at eliminating insects, borax works great too. Plus, it’s a cheaper and much safer alternative.
Borax packs a powerful punch for one simple reason – it destroys the insects’ stomach lining and interferes with their digestion. It’s sort of like the exact opposite of a probiotic! Keep “supplementing” their diet with this white powder, and it won’t be long before they end up belly up.
Keep in mind that the pest must actually ingest the borax for it to be effective. It’s an urban myth that powder somehow lacerates their exoskeletons. The decimation happens from the inside, not the outside!
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are one of the hardiest critters to ever inhabit our planet. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t annihilate them. They do have a weakness, but it’s not found at the bottom of your shoe – that’s just a bit too messy.
Reach for the borax instead – it’s like cockroach kryptonite!
Use the borax to prepare a special meal for your cockroach friends. Don’t worry, these guys are on death row and this will be the last meal they’ll ever eat!
Boil a dozen eggs, and discard the whites. In a bowl, mash together the yolks and 2.5 ounces of borax. Next, add about half a cup to a full cup of white sugar. Keep adding more sugar until the mixture is no longer crumbly and it has a dough-like consistency.
Next, place these edible yolk bombs around your house, and wait for the cockroaches to dig in. Mission accomplished!
Ants
You don’t need to be a military strategist to stop an army of ants from taking over your territory. It’s time to give these misbehaving cretins their final marching orders! Oh, and this strategy will also take down their precious queen, too.
Most animals love honey, and ants are no exception. Worker ants eat liquids, but the queen and her baby larvae eat solids. In order to stop the colony from propagating, you’ll need to make both liquid and solid treats for them to munch on.
For the solid ant bait: mix together borax and powdered sugar in a 1:3 ratio. So for every 1/4 cup of borax, add 3/4 cups of sugar.
For the liquid goo: mix together 1/4 cup of borax with 3/4 cup of honey or maple syrup.
Next, you’ll have to go hunt for your insect enemy, but they’re pretty easy to spot. Take a spoon and drop a glob of liquid goo right onto the ant trail. Keep in mind that ants can climb, so if they’re on the wall, spread the sticky stuff there, too.
If you have ants in your garden, then drop the sweet treats onto a plastic lid, so that your plants aren’t harmed in the process.
Fleas
Borax is a great long-term solution for controlling fleas. In fact, a single borax treatment can continue to kill fleas and their eggs for up to a year. Not even the pest-control guy can make a promise like that!
First, you’ll need to clean and vacuum your house. That includes moving the furniture and vacuuming underneath it – fleas love to hide out in dark places. You want to remove as much dust and dirt as possible, so that the borax can go deep down and do its job.
Next, sprinkle borax directly onto the carpet, in the creases of furniture, in corners, closets, and anywhere else you think the fleas might hide. Pay attention to where your pets like to hang out, and sprinkle borax there, too. Work the borax into the fabrics and carpet with a small hand broom. Just be sure to keep your kids and pets out of the room during the treatment, ingesting borax isn’t good for them either!
Last, vacuum up any visible borax that might be lingering on top of your furniture, like the couch. Otherwise, let the borax work its magic for at least 36 hours, then vacuum as normal to get rid of the dead fleas.
Screenshot via YouTube
Borax is an inexpensive and natural solution to the age old problem of pest control. It might be a good idea to keep a box of borax on hand. You just never know when a sneaky insect is going to try to move in!
source : diyhealth.tips